diff --git a/sdk/tests/backlog-picker-flow.test.ts b/sdk/tests/backlog-picker-flow.test.ts
index a7ad70648..2cb8e41de 100644
--- a/sdk/tests/backlog-picker-flow.test.ts
+++ b/sdk/tests/backlog-picker-flow.test.ts
@@ -92,3 +92,52 @@ describe('backlog-picker flow', () => {
     }
   });
 });
+
+describe('backlog-picker canonical spec', () => {
+  it('stays in sync with the flow yaml', () => {
+    // The canonical spec is what the kernel consumes. PR #22 fixed the path
+    // matcher in the yaml and left the canonical spec carrying the old
+    // permissive one, so the fix did not reach the thing that runs — review
+    // caught it. A divergence between the two is silent by nature: both files
+    // are valid, the tests over the yaml pass, and the kernel keeps executing
+    // the stale command.
+    const root = join(__dirname, '..', '..');
+    const flow = load(readFileSync(join(root, 'testdata', 'backlog-picker.flow.yaml'), 'utf8')) as {
+      steps: Array<{ id: string; command?: string }>;
+    };
+    const canonical = JSON.parse(
+      readFileSync(join(root, 'testdata', 'backlog-picker.spec.canonical.json'), 'utf8'),
+    ) as { steps: Array<{ id: string; command?: string }> };
+
+    const canonicalById = new Map(canonical.steps.map((s) => [s.id, s.command]));
+    for (const step of flow.steps) {
+      if (step.command === undefined) continue;
+      expect(canonicalById.get(step.id), `step "${step.id}" diverges from the canonical spec`).toBe(
+        step.command,
+      );
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('keeps directories and extensionless paths, and rejects prose', () => {
+    const steps = stepCommands();
+    const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'backlog-scope-'));
+    try {
+      mkdirSync(join(dir, 'ops'), { recursive: true });
+      writeFileSync(
+        join(dir, 'ops', 'BACKLOG.md'),
+        '# Backlog\n\n- **Scope entry** touches `regressions/` and `src/Dockerfile` and `ops/BACKLOG.md`,\n' +
+          '  but a path that merely contains `/` is prose, not a file.\n',
+      );
+      run(steps['read-backlog'], dir);
+      run(steps['select-entry'], dir);
+      const emitted = JSON.parse(run(steps['emit-package'], dir)) as { files_in_scope: string[] };
+
+      expect(emitted.files_in_scope).toContain('regressions/');
+      expect(emitted.files_in_scope).toContain('src/Dockerfile');
+      expect(emitted.files_in_scope).toContain('ops/BACKLOG.md');
+      expect(emitted.files_in_scope).not.toContain('/');
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/sdk/tests/backlog-picker.test.ts b/sdk/tests/backlog-picker.test.ts
index 160364ca1..05133f4cd 100644
--- a/sdk/tests/backlog-picker.test.ts
+++ b/sdk/tests/backlog-picker.test.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+import { execFileSync } from 'node:child_process';
+import { mkdtempSync, mkdirSync, readFileSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import { join } from 'node:path';
+import { load } from 'js-yaml';
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
 import { renderWorkPackage, selectBacklogEntry } from '../src/backlog-picker.js';
 
@@ -44,4 +49,31 @@ describe('backlog picker', () => {
     const md = 'Some **bold prose** in a paragraph.\n\n- **Real entry** yes\n';
     expect(selectBacklogEntry(md)?.title).toBe('Real entry');
   });
+
+  it('does not treat backticked prose containing a slash as a file in scope', () => {
+    const flowPath = join(__dirname, '..', '..', 'testdata', 'backlog-picker.flow.yaml');
+    const flow = load(readFileSync(flowPath, 'utf8')) as {
+      steps: Array<{ id: string; command: string }>;
+    };
+    const command = flow.steps.find((step) => step.id === 'emit-package')?.command;
+    expect(command).toBeDefined();
+
+    const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'backlog-picker-paths-'));
+    try {
+      mkdirSync(join(dir, '.relayflow'));
+      writeFileSync(
+        join(dir, '.relayflow', 'backlog-picker-entry.json'),
+        JSON.stringify({
+          title: 'Fix gate 3',
+          body: 'Update `src/file.ts`; prose that contains `/` is not a path.',
+        }),
+      );
+
+      const output = execFileSync('sh', ['-c', command!], { cwd: dir, encoding: 'utf8' });
+      const workPackage = JSON.parse(output) as { files_in_scope: string[] };
+      expect(workPackage.files_in_scope).toEqual(['src/file.ts']);
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
 });
diff --git a/testdata/backlog-picker.flow.yaml b/testdata/backlog-picker.flow.yaml
index 030f216b1..612aebb22 100644
--- a/testdata/backlog-picker.flow.yaml
+++ b/testdata/backlog-picker.flow.yaml
@@ -16,4 +16,4 @@ steps:
     type: deterministic
     dependsOn: [select-entry]
     command: >-
-      node -e 'const fs=require("node:fs");const entry=JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(".relayflow/backlog-picker-entry.json","utf8"));const text=entry.title+" "+entry.body;const files=[...new Set([...text.matchAll(/`([^`\s]*\/[^`]*)`/g)].map(match=>match[1]))];const gate=text.match(/\bgate[ -]?(\d+)\b/i);process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({title:entry.title,description:entry.body,files_in_scope:files,gate:gate?Number(gate[1]):null}))'
+      node -e 'const fs=require("node:fs");const entry=JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(".relayflow/backlog-picker-entry.json","utf8"));const text=entry.title+" "+entry.body;const files=[...new Set([...text.matchAll(/`([A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9._-]*(?:\/[A-Za-z0-9._-]*)+)`/g)].map(match=>match[1]).filter(candidate=>!/^\/|\/\//.test(candidate)))];const gate=text.match(/\bgate[ -]?(\d+)\b/i);process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({title:entry.title,description:entry.body,files_in_scope:files,gate:gate?Number(gate[1]):null}))'
diff --git a/testdata/backlog-picker.spec.canonical.json b/testdata/backlog-picker.spec.canonical.json
index 874d6c1aa..67cb2d148 100644
--- a/testdata/backlog-picker.spec.canonical.json
+++ b/testdata/backlog-picker.spec.canonical.json
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"description":"Read ops/BACKLOG.md and deterministically emit its first work package.","name":"backlog-picker","steps":[{"command":"mkdir -p .relayflow && cat ops/BACKLOG.md > .relayflow/backlog-picker-source.md","depends_on":[],"id":"read-backlog","max_iterations":1,"retry":{"initial_backoff_ms":100,"jitter_percent":20,"max_backoff_ms":60000,"multiplier":2},"type":"deterministic","verification":{}},{"command":"node -e 'const fs=require(\"node:fs\");const text=fs.readFileSync(\".relayflow/backlog-picker-source.md\",\"utf8\");const match=text.match(/^- \\*\\*(.+?)\\*\\*\\s*(.*(?:\\n  .*)*)/m);if(!match)process.exit(1);const entry={title:match[1],body:match[2].replace(/\\s+/g,\" \").trim()};fs.writeFileSync(\".relayflow/backlog-picker-entry.json\",JSON.stringify(entry));process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify(entry))'","depends_on":["read-backlog"],"id":"select-entry","max_iterations":1,"retry":{"initial_backoff_ms":100,"jitter_percent":20,"max_backoff_ms":60000,"multiplier":2},"type":"deterministic","verification":{}},{"command":"node -e 'const fs=require(\"node:fs\");const entry=JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(\".relayflow/backlog-picker-entry.json\",\"utf8\"));const text=entry.title+\" \"+entry.body;const files=[...new Set([...text.matchAll(/`([^`\\s]*\\/[^`]*)`/g)].map(match=>match[1]))];const gate=text.match(/\\bgate[ -]?(\\d+)\\b/i);process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({title:entry.title,description:entry.body,files_in_scope:files,gate:gate?Number(gate[1]):null}))'","depends_on":["select-entry"],"id":"emit-package","max_iterations":1,"retry":{"initial_backoff_ms":100,"jitter_percent":20,"max_backoff_ms":60000,"multiplier":2},"type":"deterministic","verification":{}}],"version":"0.1.0"}
+{"description":"Read ops/BACKLOG.md and deterministically emit its first work package.","name":"backlog-picker","steps":[{"command":"mkdir -p .relayflow && cat ops/BACKLOG.md > .relayflow/backlog-picker-source.md","depends_on":[],"id":"read-backlog","max_iterations":1,"retry":{"initial_backoff_ms":100,"jitter_percent":20,"max_backoff_ms":60000,"multiplier":2},"type":"deterministic","verification":{}},{"command":"node -e 'const fs=require(\"node:fs\");fs.rmSync(\".relayflow/backlog-picker-entry.json\",{force:true});const text=fs.readFileSync(\".relayflow/backlog-picker-source.md\",\"utf8\");const match=text.match(/^- \\*\\*(.+?)\\*\\*\\s*(.*(?:\\n  .*)*)/m);if(!match)process.exit(1);const entry={title:match[1],body:match[2].replace(/\\s+/g,\" \").trim()};fs.writeFileSync(\".relayflow/backlog-picker-entry.json\",JSON.stringify(entry));process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify(entry))'","depends_on":["read-backlog"],"id":"select-entry","max_iterations":1,"retry":{"initial_backoff_ms":100,"jitter_percent":20,"max_backoff_ms":60000,"multiplier":2},"type":"deterministic","verification":{}},{"command":"node -e 'const fs=require(\"node:fs\");const entry=JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(\".relayflow/backlog-picker-entry.json\",\"utf8\"));const text=entry.title+\" \"+entry.body;const files=[...new Set([...text.matchAll(/`([A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9._-]*(?:\\/[A-Za-z0-9._-]*)+)`/g)].map(match=>match[1]).filter(candidate=>!/^\\/|\\/\\//.test(candidate)))];const gate=text.match(/\\bgate[ -]?(\\d+)\\b/i);process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({title:entry.title,description:entry.body,files_in_scope:files,gate:gate?Number(gate[1]):null}))'","depends_on":["select-entry"],"id":"emit-package","max_iterations":1,"retry":{"initial_backoff_ms":100,"jitter_percent":20,"max_backoff_ms":60000,"multiplier":2},"type":"deterministic","verification":{}}],"version":"0.1.0"}
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